FaultScore

Worst years for a Jeep Cherokee

Owners have filed 20,992 complaints about the Jeep Cherokee with NHTSA across model years 1973 to 2026. More of them are about the transmission & drivetrain than anything else.

Avoid

2015 Jeep Cherokee

2,662 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly transmission & drivetrain.

Cleanest on record

2006 Jeep Cherokee

18 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Jeep Cherokee year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2026 5 0 0 Other & Unspecified
2023 4 2 0 Transmission & Drivetrain
2022 B 73 3 0 29,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2021 C 214 16 8 40,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2020 B 382 11 6 36,149 Transmission & Drivetrain
2019 D 2,418 66 28 18,500 Transmission & Drivetrain
2018 C 992 18 8 32,309 Transmission & Drivetrain
2017 D 1,927 42 8 40,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2016 D 2,046 54 23 43,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2015 D 2,662 80 47 26,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2014 D 3,965 99 34 36,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2006 A 18 0 0 26,235 Windows, Mirrors & Wipers
2001 C 329 33 25 59,650 Brakes
2000 C 508 32 73 69,300 Brakes
1999 C 516 49 34 79,680 Brakes
1998 B 553 42 5 117,000 Brakes
1997 C 496 60 7 125,000 Fuel & Propulsion
1996 C 584 72 30 140,226 Brakes
1995 C 732 110 11 111,500 Body & Structure
1994 C 618 68 14 115,500 Body & Structure
1993 C 571 60 17 130,625 Brakes
1992 175 21 7 131,940 Brakes
1991 297 14 11 174,735 Brakes
1990 368 18 12 142,868 Brakes
1989 287 13 19 133,259 Brakes
1988 118 4 7 Acceleration & Cruise Control
1987 72 4 7 90,000 Acceleration & Cruise Control
1986 26 3 1 Seat Belts
1985 24 2 0 Seat Belts
1984 8 1 1 Seat Belts
1981 1 0 0 Seats
1980 1 0 0 Tires
1978 1 0 0 Brakes
1973 1 0 0 Brakes

What breaks on a Jeep Cherokee

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Worst in 2014

Engine & Cooling 2,904 13.8%

Worst in 2014

Electrical System 2,409 11.5%

Worst in 2014

Brakes 2,197 10.5%

Worst in 2014

Other & Unspecified 1,775 8.5%

Worst in 2017

Worst in 2014

Body & Structure 892 4.2%

Worst in 1994

Worst in 2014

Steering 667 3.2%

Worst in 2014

Airbags 476 2.3%

Worst in 1998

Suspension 372 1.8%

Worst in 2014

Worst in 2014

Worst in 2014

Seat Belts 254 1.2%

Worst in 1994

Exactly what failed on a Jeep Cherokee

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Rotor 463 19.1%
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 438 18.1%
Hinge AND Attachments 365 15.1%
Engine 248 10.2%
Gasoline 193 8.0%
Body 192 7.9%
Automatic Transmission 164 6.8%
Frontal 132 5.5%
Foundation Components 113 4.7%
Automatic Emergency Braking 112 4.6%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Jeep Cherokee, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Jan 1995 peak 278 Aug 2026

Jeep Cherokee problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Jeep Cherokee

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.